Qamar Ahmed: Betting & bribery charges damaging (8 Apr 1997)

07 April 1997

Betting & bribery charges damaging

By Qamar Ahmed

Pawnbrokers, punters and the betting shops are a part of the economy of a great number of the countries. The sight of people waging money on one of their favourite horses or on a greyhound to get past the post first is not uncommon even in cricket playing countries like Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies or India.

What is unusual in countries where betting is legal is the element of bribery. Not to say that it does not happen. In fact it does, but in very rare cases, and the officials and the people connected with sports are known to have been apprehended because of it and held in contempt. The bribery controversy that rages now in Pakistan because of allegations made by a couple of cricketers against their colleagues is indeed alarming. It has unquestionably tarnished Pakistan's cricket image.

If only Justice Fakhruddin Ebrahim had in his verdict on Salim Malik taken full account of the whole allegations, things would not have come to this, the ugly accusations and allegations being hurled from every corner. Pakistan in its Golden Jubilee Year cannot afford to malign its sportsmen for what they have achieved over the years for their country, without any concrete evidence. People incharge of the inquiry must sit down along with the accusers and the accused to sort out the controversy.

Or else there will be a lot more to lose than to gain. Pakistan has a very tough schedule ahead. After Sharjah, a Test tour to Sri Lanka, Independence Cup in India, Pakistan 'A' tour to England, Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, Sahara Cup in Canada, India in Pakistan in September, South Africa and West Indies in Pakistan during the year and then Pakistan touring South Africa and West Indies in the early part of the next year is a programme which will need a lot of thinking and planning. What Pakistan should do now is to concentrate more on how to keep the players in good trim for such a rigorous schedule than to grind them and grill them under the pressure of allegations which may adversely affect everyone if no proper evidence is provided.

For Pakistan it is non-stop cricket for next twelve months if one takes into account the engagements of the Pakistani professionals in the English counties and there after Pakistan 'A' team's tour to England coming June is also very vital. The second string must always be ready and in fine fiddle to take over from people who succumb to injury or fall foul of the administration.

Source:: Dawn (https://xiber.com/dawn/)